The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-01-06
In q Cave Of Gold.


National park, where rise thesstowering
peaks of the Snow mountains, there has
long lived man known as "The Wan
derer." This man has never had, in the
many years he has been known to the
hunters and trappers of the region, any
settled habitation, but has wandered
backward and forward through the Snow
mountains, apparently ever on the search
for something. Scattered through the
mountains he has several rude huts in
which he sojourned for few days at
time, only to take up again the weary
circle of his endless search. By the men
of rifle and trap he has long been con.
sidered crazy, and the Indians of the
section have evidently thought the same
of him, and, with the we'll known pity
entertained by the red tribes for those
mentally afflicted by the great Spirit.
have never molested him in any way.
From hunter and trapper of the Snow
mountains, who was in Laramie few
days ago, the scribe learned of the
wanderers" singular life and of his
death, which took place some two months
ago. The old man was found in one of
his numerous halting places by party
of hunters several days after his wander
ings had ceased forever.
An examination of the papers on his
person showed that his had been mad
ness full of method, and revealed a tale
before which the story Of Ali Baba and
the robbers cave pales into insigni6.
cance. The old man, whose name was
ascertained to be Arthur Bethany,
though he had probably not heard it
called for a score of years, came to the
Snow mountains about twenty-five years
ago in the prime and vigor of a youthful
manhood. A native of Pennsylvania,
his youthful blood had been fired by &C.
counts of the great west, and he had
started for the new country, joining an
exploring and hunting party at st. Louis.
The party penetrated into Wyoming,
passed through the Big Horn basin, and
in the late fall of 1861 found themselves
on the headwaters of the Clarke fork of
the Yellowstone. Following up the
Clarke fork they soon came upon the
canon of the stream, and, entering it,
passed through and came out among the
mountains in the confines of the great
national park. Here they inaugurated q
grand hunt among the mountain game
they found so plentiful. One day Beth
amy wandered away from the party in
pursuit of bear he lhad wounded, and
followed the trail into the Snow noun
tains. In a deep and rocky gorge he ran
his game to earth, and saw him enter an
opening in the side of the gorge. On
approaching the opening he saw that it
must lead into cavern of considerable
extent, and at once boldly followed the
game. He soon found the bear, just dead
from its wounds.
But where did he find it7 In the
midst of scene of dazzling splendor.
The entire interior of the cavern was
mass of virgin gold studded with daz.
cling gems. From seams overhead there
came only small amount of light, and
in the semi. .obscurity the gems gave forth
luminous rays and the pure ore filled the
cavern with golden sheen. Scarcely
able to believe the evidence Of his senses.
Bethany examined the precious stones of
the cavern at first with fear and trem.
bling, and then with the widest trans
ports Of joy. In the narrow, rocky
seams which traversed the golden mass
of the cavern walls ne recognized the
diamonds brilliant white, the red flame
of the ruby and the flashes of beautiful
BLUSH green peculiar to the turquoise.
With head in whirl aud heart beating
Bethany left the gorgeous
cavern to tell his comrades of his extra.
ordinary discovery, for there was enough
riches there to make them all Rothschilds.
But scarcely had he emerged from the
cavern when he found himself enveloped
in sudden and whirling mountain snow
storm. In vain he tried again to find the
cavern entrance, and in his search he
must have wandered far away from the:
locality. All night the stosm ragged, and
when morning broke, cold and gray, be
found that he was hopelessly lost. The
snow covered:l 1.-THE ground to depth of
many inches, and he could neither find
the cave nor his way back to his compan.
ions. To be brief, he passed the long
winter amid the deep mountain SHOWS,
and when spring came at last he renewed
his search for the cavern of gold and
gems, and searched for it. until the day
he lay down to die, two months ago.
Laramie Boomerang.